Brisbane’s newest double-decker CityCat sets sail

Brisbane, March 27 (Australia India News Newsdesk)

Brisbane’s river transport has taken another leap forward with the launch of Baneraba II, the latest double-decker CityCat now in service to keep the city moving.

Christened on March 27, Baneraba II is the ninth doubledecker CityCat delivered by the Schrinner Council, with one final vessel set to arrive later this year to complete the upgraded fleet.

The new ferry is named after the first-generation Baneraba, which launched in 1998, and means Toowong in the language of Brisbane’s Indigenous people.

The vessel was officially christened by Ferry Master Nina Moore, who started her career with River City Ferries in 2018 as a Customer Service Officer before working her way up to mastering CityCats across Brisbane’s network.

With Baneraba II joining the fleet, the two oldest first-generation CityCats, Mirbarpa and Tugulawa, will now be retired. These vessels will have their branding and fitouts removed before being made available for sale, with potential for more first-generation CityCats to be sold depending on demand. This follows a precedent set by Brisbane City Council’s sale of retired diesel buses to other Queensland operators. Chair for Transport Ryan Murphy highlighted the value of Brisbane’s ferry network, saying, “Brisbane’s ferry network doesn’t just get passengers where they need to go, it’s a fantastic tourism offering that adds to our incredible lifestyle. As we welcome another new CityCat to the fleet, we’ve identified an opportunity to give our older vessels a second life elsewhere. We will always look for ways to keep costs down for residents while making sure we have the public transport we need to keep Brisbane moving.”

Ferry Master Nina Moore reflected on her journey and the evolution of Brisbane’s ferry service. “I’m proud to have built my career on the Brisbane River—from starting out as a Customer Service Officer to now stepping into the Ferry Master role. Just as Brisbane has grown stronger through challenges like floods and cyclones, and is now stepping onto the world stage as an Olympic city, our iconic ferry service has continued to evolve and grow with it. It’s amazing to see how far the fleet has come—

Baneraba II will help us deliver an even better experience for our passengers, and I’m honoured to be part of this next chapter.” Baneraba II is now officially in service. To